Students will use literature as the basis for communicating an idea through creative movement about the environment. Students will explore using the creative process the affect of humans on the natural environment. They will use dance as the vehicle for expressing their ideas about conservation and the environment.
Guiding Questions
- How can dance be used as a form of expression to use, explore and articulate the social and political impact of issues related to the environment?
- How can the elements of dance be used to communicate an idea?
Learning Goals
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- create a movement vocabulary that communicates ideas about the environment
- Use the elements of dance to communicate an idea
Readiness
Knowledge of the elements of dance; experience with movement activities associated with flocking.
Terminology
- Body
- Relationship
- Body storm
- Energy
- Time
- Free-flow movement
- Flocking
- Unison movement
- Dance phrase
- Narrative form
Materials
- The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry (or similar story about the environment)
- Slips of paper with the animals from the story listed on them (for group activities)
Minds On (~20 minutes)
Pairs > Discussion
Have students reflect on previous lesson by having them discuss with an elbow partner how they used the elements body and relationship to communicate the devastation on Wolf Island. Encourage students to consider what was the cause of the devastation in that habitat (e.g., the wolves choosing to leave the island had a ripple effect for the rest of the ecosystem).
Whole Class > Discussion
Ask students to consider what other factors can impact the environment. Facilitate a group discussion on how humans have had a negative impact on the environment. Have students brainstorm ideas about how humans can help to protect the environment.
Action (~50-60 minutes)
Whole Class > Body Storming
Read the Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry. Instruct students to find a place in the room on their own. Have students close their eyes and imagine they are one of the animals from the story. Ask students to think about how that animal felt when they found out someone was attempting to cut down a part of their home. Using the elements of energy and time, ask students to body storm how they could use these elements to convey how the animal was feeling when they felt that their home was being threatened. Students should use free-flow movement to explore these emotions. (If the animal was feeling sad, the student may choose a collapse movement to communicate this.)
Small Group > Flocking
Place students in groups of four. Have students create a diamond shape (one in front, one behind, and one on either side) to practise movement using flocking. This is an extended mirroring activity for 4 people.
E.g.:
The student in the front leads the unison movement for a few moments before having the students turn to have a new leader for movement. Encourage students to use the elements when exploring through flocking.
Teacher Tip: To provide stimulus for the flocking exploration, encourage students to move as an animal in the story.
Small Group > Choosing an Animal
Each group will choose an animal from the story that they will be representing. Students will discuss in these groups the feelings of that animal they have chosen from the story. These emotions can be before or after the "ax man" is introduced into the story. Have students engage in flocking to represent the animal their group has selected. Ensure that each student in the group is given the opportunity to "lead" the movement exercise. Prompt: What type of energy did your group use to communicate the feelings of your animals? Encourage students to communicate their understanding of the elements to communicate an idea.
Small Group > Flocking with 8 People
Next, have students combine into groups of eight. One group of four should represent the "ax people" (or human impact) and the other four should represent the living things in an environment.
E.g.:
Have the students create a dance phrase using flocking that conveys an idea about the environment and how humans can impact the environment. This impact can be positive or negative. Encourage students to use their emotion exploration when doing this. Students will use narrative form to to tell a story from beginning to end about human impact on the environment. This may come in the form of a "retell" (refer to DI notation) of the story, or of a student-selected human impact on the environment.
Differentiation (DI)
Students who cannot easily use the elements to convey an emotion felt by an animal should be placed in a small, guided, teacher led group in which all of the participants represent the same animal.
When creating the movement vocabulary, students having difficulty can use movement to communicate the message in the story. Independent groups may choose to create a dance phrase that communicates a different environmental issue.
Students may draw the animal before attempting the movement if this helps them choose the actions they may need for the action phrase.
Consolidation (~30 minutes)
Small Group > Sharing
Students will present their dance phrase to the class. After each performance, the group members should reflect on and talk about the strategies that have helped them construct and communicate meaning and identify steps they can take to improve. After each presentation, have students in the audience give feedback to the group.
Students complete an exit card verbally or in writing answering the following questions:
- Which element of dance did you feel was the best for communicating an idea?
- In what ways can dance be used to communicate an idea about the environment?
Assessment for Learning (AfL)
Students should be assessed using anecdotal notation
Assess student's understanding of energy during reflective dialogue and when answering exit card
Assessment as Learning (AaL)
Students will reflect on how the use of the elements conveys emotion.
Students will identify how synchronized movement can represent unity.
